The Teaching Oscilloscope
Basic Features & Functions
Capturing Your Signal:
Easy as 1, 2, 3
Courseware
Controls
1. Set the vertical scale (volts/div).

Overview: Provides basic information
about lab experiments such as
objectives, theory and equipment
requirements.

Procedure: Includes step-by-step
instructions for setting-up and
performing experiments.
2. Set the horizontal scale (sec/div).

Data Collection: Accesses the
oscilloscope for making the required
measurements and documenting the
results.

Reports: Automatically prepares a
complete lab report from the data
collected during the experiment.
Aliasing

Courseware Controls
3. Set the trigger type, source and levels.
Aliasing occurs when the oscilloscope does not sample
the signal fast enough to construct an accurate
waveform record. When this happens, the oscilloscope
displays a waveform with a frequency lower than the
actual input waveform, or triggers and displays an
unstable waveform.
Acquisition Modes
Aliased Waveform
Determine how the oscilloscope digitizes the signal before
displaying it. Typically chosen in the “Acquire” menu.

Actual Waveform
Sample: Samples are taken in evenly spaced intervals
to construct the waveform. This mode accurately
represents signals most of the time.

Peak Detect: The highest and lowest values of the
input signal are captured and used to construct the
waveform. This mode will capture narrow pulses that
may be missed in Sample Mode.

Average: Several waveforms are acquired and
averaged point-by-point to obtain the average voltage
at each time sample in the acquisition. This mode is
used to reduce random noise.

Advanced Triggering

Probing Tips

Choose a probe that exceeds the signal’s bandwidth
by 5 times for accurate reconstruction of the signal.

Remember to connect the probe’s ground clip to a
known ground in the circuit under test. Measuring
a signal requires two connections: the probe tip
connection and the ground connection.

Don’t forget to compensate passive voltage probes
to the oscilloscope.
Zoom Controls
Integrated Counter

Use internal counters to monitor frequence measurements.
Tektronix Oscilloscopes

Trigger Controls
Vertical Controls
The trigger circuit acts as a comparator. When the signal
matches the trigger setting, the oscilloscope generates a
trigger and captures the signal. Edge triggering is used most
often; it captures the signal on a rising or falling edge.


Dedicated Front-panel Controls

Automatic Measurements including FFT

Intuitive User Interface
To find which oscilloscope is right for you, visit us at:
www.tektronix.com/oscilloscopes
Source


- Determines which signal is compared to the
trigger settings.
Easy to Use

To avoid aliasing, the oscilloscope must sample the
signal more than twice as fast as the highest frequency
component of the signal (Nyquist Theorem). Tektronix
oscilloscopes sample at least five times as fast as their
highest bandwidth, substantially minimizing the chance
of aliasing.


Level
- Determines where on the edge the trigger point occurs.
Slope
- Determines whether the trigger point is on the rising
edge (positive slope) or the falling edge (negative slope)
of a signal.
Copyright © 2014, Tektronix. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this
publication supersedes that in all previously published material. Specification and price change privileges reserved. TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered
trademarks of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
05/14 EA
3GW-23616-2 EDU

Vertical Controls
Position
- Moves the waveform up and down on the display.
Scale (Volts-Per-Division)
- Varies the size of the waveform on the screen.
Bandwidth Limit
- Limits the bandwidth of the oscilloscope to the frequency
selected to reduce displayed noise. Restricts frequencies
above the limit from being displayed and also from
affecting the trigger.
Input coupling
- Determines which part of the signal is displayed.
- DC Coupling: Shows all of the input signal.
- AC Coupling: Blocks the DC component of the signal,
centering the waveform at 0 volts.
- Ground Coupling: Disconnects the input signal to show
where 0 volts is on the screen.
Horizontal
Controls
Trigger
Controls
Autoset
Autoset

Identifies the type of waveform and adjusts
controls to produce a usable display of the
input signal.
Horizontal Controls


Position
- Moves the waveform left and right on the display.
 Coupling
Note: Trigger coupling only affects the signal passed to the
trigger system, not the bandwidth or coupling of the signal
on the screen.
- DC Coupling: Passes all components of the signal.
- AC Coupling: Block DC components.
- HF Reject: Attenuates the high frequency
components of the signal.
- LF Reject: Blocks the DC component and attenuates
the low-frequency components of the signal.
- Noise Reject: Adds hysteresis to the trigger circuitry
to reduce the chance of falsely triggering on noise.
Having Problems?

If you do not see a signal, check the following:
- Is the channel on?
- Is the waveform off screen?
- Adjust the vertical position and scale.
- Adjust vertical coupling if the signal has a large
DC component.

If your waveform is indistinguishable, adjust the
horizontal scale.
Scale (Seconds-Per-Division)
- Determines the amount of time displayed.
Zoom Controls
The zoom function magnifies captured waveforms to
show more signal detail.


Scale
- Changes the zoom scale factor.
Position
- Changes the position of the zoom window.
Modes
- Auto Mode: The oscilloscope sweeps, even without
a trigger.
- Normal Mode: The oscilloscope only sweeps if the
input signal reaches the set trigger point; otherwise
the last acquired waveform remains on the display.
- Single Sequence Mode: After a trigger is detected,
the oscilloscope acquires and displays one
waveform.